Defending champions Barcelona will resume their La Liga campaign after the international break with a home game against Real Betis.
High-flying Barcelona are all set to host Real Betis, who have had a decent start to the 2023/24 season. The Catalan giants might have started off slowly, but they have bounced back. Xavi’s team are on a three-match winning streak and will look to make it four when they square up against the visitors, who are currently seventh on the points table.
Barcelona were sensational last season as they ended up winning the league. The Catalan giants are expected to push for the league title right until the end, and they have added a few players to the mix that will surely help their cause.
The Blaugrana started off the new season with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Getafe. But, they did get back on track against Cadiz and have been getting the right results in their last three outings. While Barcelona are on a three-match winning streak, they have not been as dominant as they were last season.
As a result, Real Betis could fancy their chances. The visitors started off the season with a win over Villarreal. They followed it up with a hard-fought draw against Atletico Madrid. But, ended up losing 4-2 to Athletic Club on Matchday 3.
However, the visitors did bounce back and registered a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano before heading into the international break. While Betis do have a quality squad at their disposal and can cause an upset here, their recent form is not convincing enough, and they might have a tough task of handling Xavi’s team.
Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the two squads and tries to predict the tactics the teams could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Xavi will once again be without the services of Pedri and Ronald Araujo, who are out injured. Meanwhile, there are doubts over the availability of Ilkay Gundogan. The former Manchester City skipper suffered a back problem during the international break and is unlikely to be risked in this outing.
Meanwhile, Fermin Lopez is suspended after picking up a red card in a match for Barcelona’s second team.
#BarçaBetis Loading… pic.twitter.com/rf4J9ly0Ce
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 15, 2023
Xavi will go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be in goal. Joao Cancelo will be making his full debut for Barcelona. He will start as the right-back, while Alejandro Balde will take care of things on the left.
In the heart of the defence, Jules Kounde will pair up with Andreas Christensen, with Araujo still out injured. The duo has done a great job so far and they will look to keep up the good work against Betis.
With Gundogan unlikely to be risked, the midfield trifecta will be made up of Oriol Romeu, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong. They will look to have the majority of the ball possession and dictate the pace of this game.
There will be another full debut in the Barcelona team as Joao Felix is expected to be the left-winger for this outing. On the right will be the teenage sensation Lamine Yamal who has been on fire ever since the start of the season. Meanwhile, last season’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Cancelo, Kounde, Christensen, Balde; Romeu, De Jong, Gavi; Yamal, Lewandowski, Felix
Real Betis
Manuel Pellegrini has quite a few injuries to deal with. He will be without the services of Aitor Ruibal, Luiz Henrique, Claudio Bravo, William Carvalho and Nabil Fekir who are all out injured. Meanwhile, Luiz Felipe left the club to join the Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad on deadline day.
🆕⚡️🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/XeI9toAFNU
— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) September 15, 2023
The Chilean manager is expected to go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Rui Silva will be in goal. Héctor Bellerín and Abner will be the full-backs for this fixture. The duo will have a lot of defending to do, and they will have to help out their centre-backs German Pezzella and former Barcelona player Marc Bartra.
The double pivot in the centre of the park will be formed by Guido Rodriguez and Marc Roca. Meanwhile, former Real Madrid star Isco, who is in red-hot form will feature as an attacking midfielder. Iso will have the support of Rodri and Ayoze Perez will start out wide on either flank. Meanwhile, Willian Jose will be leading the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Silva; Bellerin, Pezzella, Bartra, Abner; Rodriguez, Roca; Rodri, Isco, Perez; Willian Jose
Key Stats
- Barcelona and Real Betis have squared up against each other on 137 occasions. The home team have won on 83 occasions while the visitors have won just 30 times.
- Barcelona have won eight out of their last nine fixtures against Real Betis.
- Real Betis have only won two out of the last 20 matches against the Catalan giants. Both wins came away from home.
- The home team have dropped points in four out of their last eight league games.
- Xavi’s team have a chance of making it four wins in a row against the visitors having won the last three outings.
Player to Watch
Isco
After struggling with injuries and being without a club for around six months, Isco joined Real Betis in the summer. The former Real Madrid star has revived himself in some fashion. He has been Betis’ best player in the league so far.
The 31-year-old has featured in all four of their league games and has also contributed with a goal. Heading into this encounter against Barcelona, Isco will be Betis’ most important player and he might have a big say on the result of this game.
Prediction
Barcelona 2-1 Real Betis
Barcelona have been in sensational form since the start of the 2023-24 season. They are currently on a three-match winning streak and will look to make it four in a row when they host Real Betis. Xavi’s team have added quality players to their ranks on the transfer deadline and they are expected to have a big say on the result of this fixture.
Meanwhile, the visitors have had a mixed bag of results so far. They have showcased some exceptional performances but they haven’t been consistent. Squaring up against the Catalan giants won’t be easy as they have quite a few superstars in their ranks. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
